Forever: Gentleness

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
- Galatians 5:22-23

 “…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring over water welling up to eternal life.”
- John 4:14

“Gentleness is the ability to bear reproaches and slights with moderation, and not to embark on revenge quickly, and not to be easily provoked to anger, but to be free from bitterness and contentiousness, having tranquility and stability in the spirit.”
- Aristotle

Mixer

What is your favorite Thanksgiving gathering story?

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Daily Devotional Questions

In Pastor Jared’s Thursday 11/19 entry, Just Like Silas, he suggests that our friendships seem to take the back seat to all the other “urgent”matters of the moment. Who is that friend you miss during this 2020 ride? What fruit of your friendship are you needing a big scoop of? Did you call them? How did it right things again for you?

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Strongest You Questions

1.  In Episode 8 (11.13.20), Mike coached us to look at relational boundaries as  “the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” How did Mike’s statement challenge your thinking about infusing love and serving well in establishing relational boundaries? Think about your past experiences being on one side or the other of a boundary. What went right and what went wrong?

2. Of the 4 steps that Mike suggested for building boundaries, where do you get stuck the most? Use a real life scenario and take it through the boundary development steps. What would it look like at each step? And what would we do when we encounter resistance or the unexpected?

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Sermon Questions

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23; John 4:14

1. Jesus treated the Samaritan woman at the well with gentleness. How did this approach change her life, and what are the ripple effects in the world of that kind of change? What if he had fed her shame instead - would she have changed?
   
2. “Prautes” is the Greek word used to express this idea of gentleness being a strength/power under control. Pastor Jared said that Jesus came into the world on a cross - a picture of God restrained. How does God show gentleness to mankind in Jesus’ birth, His life, and His death?
   
3. Does gentleness mean that you won’t have outrage or anger? But your restraint in difficult situations and relationships can be powerful. What is an area of your life that restraint is difficult? Do you believe you are capable of gentleness?

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Live it out

One time on a morning walk, I was talking (er, venting) to God about some relationships where I felt beaten up by unkind words. As I vented, this came to me: James 336. I didn’t know exactly what the numbers meant: James 3:36, 33:6...but when I got home, I opened my Bible and I found James 3:3-6.  

Read it! But also read the before and after verses, and note the header of that passage. That was just what I needed that day, but it was intended to teach me the character lesson. How will I conduct myself around others, and especially in the face of the ones who I was just complaining about? The lesson is, we are responsible only for ourselves and our reactions; God takes care of the others in His time, and in His way.

So in 2020, it is painfully obvious that we are in one of the most challenging times to be gentle. We have all experienced the frustration, the outrage, and even the violence of such troubling times. How will we let God’s gentleness soothe us and empower us? How will we be world changers and express gentleness in our words and our actions - to ourselves, to our families, to our world? - Julie